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The First War of Independence Flashcards

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1
Q

Give other names for the First War of Independence.

A
  1. Sepoy Mutiny
  2. Revolt of 1857
  3. Great Uprising of 1857
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2
Q

Why was the Great Uprising called the First War of Independence?

A
  1. Besides the sepoys (the native soldiers), millions of
    Indians took part in the War.
  2. Millions of Indians fought for a common cause -
    independence.
  3. The Hindus and Muslims, forgetting their traditional
    differences, combined against the British masters.
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3
Q

Was the Great Uprising a success?

A

No, Indians did not succeed in their mission, but the events of 1857 were inspirational to continue further struggle against British Raj.

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4
Q

Name the political causes of the FWI.

A
  1. Expansion of British Dominions
  2. Discourtesy to the Mughal Emperor
  3. Treatment meted out to Nana Saheb
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5
Q

Name the conquests and questionable methods used by the British to expand their dominions.

A
  1. System of Subsidiary Alliances
  2. The Doctrine of Lapse
  3. Annexation of Awadh
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6
Q

Which battle took place in 1857? What was its result?

A
  1. The Battle of Plassey took place in 1857.
  2. It firmly established the British power in Bengal.
  3. Since then, there was a rapid expansion of their territories in India by conquests and questionable methods.
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7
Q

Who devised the System of Subsidiary Alliances.

A

Lord Wellesley devised the System of Subsidiary Alliances.

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8
Q

What did the system of Subsidiary Alliance entail?

A

Lord Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance implied the subordination of Indian princes to the British company in their external relations.

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9
Q

Who was Lord Wellesley?

A

He was the Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805.

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10
Q

What was Lord Wellesley’s policy?

A

His policy was to “establish a comprehensive system of Alliance and political relation over every region of Hindustan”.

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11
Q

What was the benefit of Subsidiary Alliance?

A

It added to the territories and resources of the East India company.

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12
Q

What were the Indian rulers who entered into Subsidiary Alliance required to do?

A
  1. To keep the British army at the. Capitals of their States
  2. To give either money or some part of their territory to the Company for maintenance of the British troops
  3. To turn out from their States all non-English. Europeans whether they were employed in the army or the Civil Service.
  4. Had to keep a British Official called ‘Resident’ at
    Capitals of their respective States.
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13
Q

Who was the Resident?

A

The Resident was a British official whom the Indian rulers, who got into Subsidiary Alliance, were required to keep at the Capital of their respective States.

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14
Q

What was the function of the Resident?

A

The Indian rulers were to deal with other States only through the Resident. at hey we’re to have no direct correspondence or relations with other States.

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15
Q

Which States were brought under British control by means of Subsidiary Alliance?

A
  1. Hyderabad
  2. Mysore
  3. Pooja (Pune)
  4. Lucknow
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16
Q

What had Subsidiary Alliance essentially done to the Ruler?

A

SA had reduced the Ruler of an Indian State to the position of a Puppet, even though he might appear to be independent.

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17
Q

Who was Lord Dalhousie?

A

Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India from 1846 to 1856 (10 years)

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18
Q

What was Dalhousie’s policy?

A

His was a policy of annexations and conquests.

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19
Q

What was the effect of Dalhousie’s policies on the Indian ruling chiefs?

A

Dalhousie’s policy showed clearly that the territories of no Indian prince was safe. The Doctrine of Lapse created a sense of alarm among the ruling chiefs.

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20
Q

What did the Doctrine of Lapse mean?

A

The Doctrine meant that when a ruler of a Dependent State died without a natural heir, the State passed back to the English Company.

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21
Q

What was the additional clause Dalhousie added to the Doctrine?

A

The heirs adopted without the consent of the Company could inherit only the private property of the deceased ruler, and not his territory.

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22
Q

Which states fell victim to the Doctrine of Lapse?

A
  1. Satara
  2. Jhansi
  3. Nagpur
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23
Q

What happened as a result of the DOL when the ruler of Jhansi died?

A

When the ruler of Jhansi died in 1853 leaving no child, the widowed Rani was pensioned. Their adopted son, Anand Rai, was not recognised as a lawful successor to the throne.

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24
Q

Who was the Nawab of Awadh?

A

Nawab Wazid Ali Shah was the Nawab of Awadh.

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25
Q

When was the Nawab Wazid Ali Shah deposed?

A

On 7 February, 1856

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26
Q

On what grounds was Nawab Wazid Ali Shah deposed?

A

On the grounds that awadh was no being managed well.

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27
Q

When did the complete annexation of awadh take place?

A

On February 13, 1856, the Court of Directors ordered Awadh’s complete annexation to the Company’s dominions.

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28
Q

By the annexation of Awadh, what did the British prove/show?

A

The annexation was certainly a case of high-handedness on part of the company. The British seemed to have broken all their pledges and promises to the ruling chiefs.

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29
Q

What cause resented among the Indian soldiers of the British army who came from Awadh?

A

The complete annexation of awadh showed that the British had broken all their promises and pledges to the ruling chiefs, which caused resentment among those soldiers of the British Indian army who came form Awadh.

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30
Q

What caused dissatisfaction among the taluqdars or zamindars of Awadh?

A

The British had confiscated their estates

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31
Q

Which city played a major role in the War of 1857?

A

Awadh

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32
Q

What was the Lord Dalhousie Act?

A

Lord Dalhousie announced that on the death of the King his successor would have to leave the Imperial Place

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33
Q

What was the Imperial Palace?

A

The Red Fort

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34
Q

How did the British show discourtesy to the Mughal Emperor?

A
  1. Lord Dalhousie announced that on the death of the King his successor would have to leave the Imperial Palace.
  2. In 1856, Lord Canning made it known that Bahadur Shah’s successor would not be allowed to use the imperial title i.e. the title of ‘King’.
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35
Q

What was the Imperial title?

A

The title of ‘King’

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36
Q

How did Dalhousie treat Nana Saheb?

A

Dalhousie’s refusal of pension to Nana Saheb was widely resented by the Hindus in general and Nana Saheb in particular.

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37
Q

Who was Nana Saheb?

A

The adopted son of the ex-Peshwa Baji Rao II

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38
Q

What did Nana Saheb do in response to Dalhousie’s refusal of his pension?

A

Nana Saheb had inherited enormous wealth from Baji Rao II. He used that money to send emissaries to different parts of the country and instigating revolt everywhere.

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39
Q

Name the religious and social causes at play in the First War of Independence.

A
  1. Fears regarding mass conversion to Christianity
  2. Laws that interfered with the Religion and Customs of the People
  3. Introduction of the Railways and Telegraphs
  4. Racial Discrimination and Indignities hurled at Indians.
  5. Fears regarding English Education
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40
Q

Name the 4 activities of the Christian missionaries.

A
  1. The teaching of the Christian doctrines was made compulsory in the schools set up by the Christian missionaries.
  2. The Bible was introduced in both Christian institutions and also in Government schools.
  3. Even prisoners in the jail began to be instructed in Christianity.
  4. The Officials openly preached Christian doctrines in mosques and temples.
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41
Q

What happened at Agra as an attempt to convert Hindus to Christianity?

A

The Missionary Society of America established a press at Agra. It published leaflets and little books full of inaccurate information about Hinduism.

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42
Q

Which Act changed the Hindu Law of Property?

A

Religious Disabilities Act of 1859 changed the Hindu Law of Property.

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43
Q

What did the Religious Disabilities Act of 1850 enable?

A

It enabled the convert from Hinduism to inherit the property from his father.

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44
Q

What did the Hindus regard as an incentive up their religious faith?

A

The Religious Disabilities Act of 1850 which enabled a convert from Hinduism to inherit his father’s property.

45
Q

What was held to be the main cause of the revolt?

A

DalhousieMs great annexations of territory, his innovations and reforms

46
Q

Give three points in support of laws that interferes with the customs and religion of the people.

A
  1. Religious Disabilities Act
  2. Taxing Religious Places (temples and mosques which had been free from all taxes)
  3. The Widow Remarriage Act
47
Q

When did the British take measures to control some of the social evils in India?

A

In the 19th century

48
Q

Which act was a progressive measure by the British, but regarded unfavourably by the Indians?

A

The Widow Remarriage Act passed in 1856

49
Q

Which three things and the British done in order to eradicate social evils in India?

A
  1. Widow Remarriage Act of 1856
  2. Eradication of Sati
  3. Eradication of female infanticide
50
Q

Name two reformers who were in support of the British in being against aati and female infanticide

A
  1. Raja Rammohan Roy

2. Keshab Chandra Sen

51
Q

Why did people not react favourably to measures favouring social reform?

A

They raised the cry that their religion was in danger - sati, female infanticide has been abolished, widow remarriage enabled

52
Q

Why were the railways and telegraphs looked down upon?

A

The railways and telegraphs were looked down upon because they were regarded as means to break social order and caste - rules, and the mass of people regarded them as interference with the caste rules.

53
Q

How did the railways break caste rules?

A

In railway compartments, people of all castes had to sit together.

54
Q

What was the rumour about telegraph poles?

A

The telegraph poles would be used for hanging people who were against Company’s rule in India

55
Q

Name the methods of racial discrimination and indignities hurled at Indians / What alienated the British from the Indian masses?

A
  1. Englishman in India could insult, humiliate and even kill the Indians at will.
  2. Every native, whatever his pretended rank may be, ought to be compelled to salaam all English gentlemen in the streets.
  3. If an Indian was on horseback, he had to dismount and stand in a respectful manner until the European had passed him.
56
Q

What steps were seen as an attempt to discourage Islamic and Hindu studies?

A
  1. In 1829, the Bengal government established an English class in Kolkata Madrasa, which was a Muslim institution.
  2. English classes were introduced in Benaras Sanskrit College.
57
Q

Shifting of emphasis from oriental to Western learning was regarded unfavourably by whom and why?

A

It was not well received by the people, especially the Pandits and the Maulvis because they saw in it an attempt to discourage Islamic and Hindu studies.

58
Q

What did the people fear was the real object for shifting focus to english education?

A

Despite it had been by best of intentions, there was the fear that the object was not so kuch the promotion of literature and sciences as inducing people to become Christian.

59
Q

Name the economic causes leading to the FWI.

A
  1. The Ruin of Trade and Handicrafts
  2. Impoverishment of the Cultivators
  3. India reduced to an Agricultural Colony of British
  4. Inhuman treatment meted out to the Indigo cultivators
  5. Annexation of Rent-free Lands and Estates
  6. Loss of Livelihood
  7. Big Famines
60
Q

What alarmed policy-makers in England? What did they do as a result?

A

The popularity of Indian textiles alarmed policy-makers in England. An Act was passed in 1720 which prohibited the use of Indian silks and calicoes in England.

61
Q

How did the British rulers cripple Indian arts and crafts?

A
  1. The Act of 1720 which prohibited the use of Indian silks and calicoes in England.
  2. Heavy duties were imposed on Indian silk and cotton textiles in Britain - 70 and 80 percent respectively.
  3. British goods were imported into India at a nominal duty.
62
Q

By when had export of cotton and silk goods from India practically ceased?

A

By the middle of the 19th century

63
Q

Name the manufacturing towns which suffered as a result of ruin of trade and handicrafts.

A
  1. Dhaka
  2. Murshidabad
  3. Surat
64
Q

Name the two systems that promoted impoverishment of the Cultivators or peasants.

A
  1. The Permanent Settlement of 1793

2. The Mahalwari System

65
Q

What was the transition in the role of Zamindars before and after the Permanent Settlement?

A

The Zamindars had so far only been the revenue collectors. They could keep a certain percentage of what they received from the peasantry. After the Permanent Settlement, the Zamindars had the power to eject the cultivators for non-payment of the dues.

66
Q

What was the function of the Permanent Settlement of 1793?

A

It made the zamindars the absolute owners of their estates and gave them the power to eject cultivators for non-payment of the dues.

67
Q

To which states was the Permanent Settlement of 1793 restricted?

A
  1. Bengal
  2. Bihar
  3. Odisha
68
Q

Where was the Mahalwari System prevalent?

A
  1. Parts of Central India
  2. The Gangetic Valley
  3. Punjab
69
Q

Where was the Ryotwari System prevalent?

A
  1. In Bombay Presidency

2. Parts of Southern India

70
Q

Why were the farmers driven to borrow more and more money from money lenders?

A

The British revenue officers were strict in revenue collection. Almost half of the net produce was claimed as land revenue. Unable to pay land revenue, farmers were driven to borrow money.

71
Q

Which states emerged as major producers of export crops?

A
  1. Bihar
  2. Bengal
  3. Awadh
72
Q

Name some export crops

A

Jute, opium, and indigo

73
Q

What made India an agricultural colony of British capitalism?

A

The manufacturers in England required other raw materials also such as cotton and oilseeds for their industries, and after the Industrial Revolution, they did all that they could to keep India mainly an agricultural country.

74
Q

Who managed the export trade from India?

A

The British companies managed this export trade.

75
Q

When were Englishmen permitted to acquire land and settle down in India?

A

In 1833

76
Q

What was the inhuman treatment meted out to the Indigo cultivators?

A

The peasants were forced to cultivate indigo and nothing else in the fields chosen by the English planters. Their “crops were wantonly destroyed by the planters, their houses burnt and their cattle carried off as plunder”.

77
Q

What is the meaning of Inam Commission?

A

The Inam Commission was appointed to inquire into the title deeds of the owners of large estates.

78
Q

How did the decline of landed aristocracies by Inam Commission take place?

A

Many landowners pleaded that they could not produce their title deeds on account of passage of time. The Government did not accept their plea and confiscated some 20,000 estates.

79
Q

Why did the landed gentry of Awadh face serious hardship after the annexation of Awadh?

A

Most of them were deprived of their estates as they could not produce their title deeds in front of the Inam Commission on account of passage of time.

80
Q

What was the result of the appointment of an Inam Commission?

A

Proud aristocracies were reduced to beggary and servitude.

81
Q

When was the Inam Commission appointed?

A

In 1852

82
Q

How were the Pandits and Maulvis rendered jobless?

A

The introduction of Western Education meant that the Pandits and Maulvis, imparting Oriental Education, became jobless.

83
Q

How did loss of livelihood occur for artisans and craftsmen?

A

The artisans and craftsmen lost their job and had no alternative source of income.

84
Q

How did the loss of livelihood occur for native troops?

A

Annexation of Indian States meant the loss of livelihood for thousands of native troops.

85
Q

Name the persons who lost their livelihood due to First War of Independence.

A
  1. Artisans and craftsmen
  2. Pandits and Maulvis
  3. Native troops
86
Q

Name the military causes that led to the FWI

A
  1. Resentment of the Sepoys
  2. Faulty Distribution of Troops
  3. Disproportion between Indian and British Troops
  4. Discontent and Disaffection in the Bengal Army
  5. Loss of Prestige in Afghan War
  6. General Service Enlistment Act
  7. The Immediate Cause (Intro of Enfield Rifles)
87
Q

What was the essential factor for the uprising to take place?

A

As long as the native army remained loyal to the British, no big event could take place.

88
Q

Name the reasons for the resentment of the sepoys.

A
  1. Poor Prospect of Promotion
  2. Low Salary
  3. Treatment or Social Distance between British
    Officers and Indian Soldiers
89
Q

Why were there poor prospects of promotion for sepoys?

A

All the high ranks in the army were reserved for the British only. The native sepoys could not rise above the rank of Risaldar or Subedar, even though their performance was excellent.

90
Q

What was the maximum pay that a subedar could expect?

A

The maximum pay that a Subedar of the infantry could expect was less than the minimum pay of a raw English recruit.

91
Q

What affected the Sepoys’ morale?

A

The Sepoys were required to serve in areas far away from their homes without an additional bhatta (allowance), which naturally affected their morale.

92
Q

What did the British officers treat the Indian soldiers like?

A

They treated the Sepoys like menial servants.

93
Q

What were the accomplishments of the Sepoys?

A

They were experienced men who had conquered for their masters’ kingdom after kingdom. They had conquered Punjab for the British in 1848.

94
Q

Which key places had no British armies?

A

Delhi and Allahabad

95
Q

Which hostilities was England engaged in outside of India?

A

The Persian (Iranian) War and the Chinese War

96
Q

Why were the Indian soldiers determined to strike?

A

The British were in difficultly as they were engaged in hostilities outside India, and this presented a suitable opportunity to catch them off guard.

97
Q

What was the ratio of Indian to British soldiers in the Company’s troops when Dalhousie left India?

A

Company’s troops consisted of 2,33,000 Indians and 45,322 British soldiers.

98
Q

What had Dalhousie failed to achieve in regards to British soldiers?

A

Dalhousie had written to Home authorities that more British soldiers should be drafted in the army. He failed to achieve what he had intended.

99
Q

Why was the term ‘Bengal Army’ a misnomer?

A

Bengal had nothing to do with the personnel of the army.

100
Q

Why was there discontent in the Bengal Army?

A

During Anglo-Afghan War, the Sepoys and officers of the Bengal army had to cross the Sindhu and go outside India. They very much disliked it because they thought that sea-voyage was forbidden by their religion.

101
Q

What did the Bengal regiments do in protest?

A

In 1844, some Bengal regiments refused to serve in Sindh till extra allowances were given to them.

102
Q

Who were the sepia and officers of the Bengal army?

A

They were mainly high-caste Hindus (Brahmins and Rajputs) of Awadh

103
Q

What was the time period of the Anglo-Afghan War?

A

1839-1842

104
Q

What happened to the British in the Afghan War?

A

After an enormous waste of money and loss of human life, not only were the British troops defeated but the War exposed their weaknesses too.

105
Q

Why did the Indian soldiers feel they could challenge the British in India?

A

Due to the defeat of the British troops in the Afghan War, as well as the fact that their weaknesses were exposed.

106
Q

When was the General Service Enlistment Act introduced?

A

In 1856

107
Q

What did the General Service Enlistment Act provide?

A

It provided that all recruits to the Bengal Army should be ready for service everywhere, whether within or outside India.

108
Q

What was the immediate cause of the War of Independence?

A

The introduction of Enfield Rifles in place of the old iron made Brown Bess Guns.

109
Q

Why was the whole Bengal army seized with panic due to the Enfield Rifles?

A

The cartridges to be used for the Enfield Rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The cow, as we know, is sacred for the Hindus and the Muslims consider pig as unclean.

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